The night started off with Justus Bennetts, who released five singles in 2021 alone and amassed a large TikTok following, absolutely bringing his A-game, and immediately won over the crowd. The energy exuding from him instantly transferred to the crowd and everyone was dancing and jumping around with him. Performing original tracks alongside a few throwback covers, with my favorite being Mr. Brightside, he certainly fits comfortably in the new age punk/hip-hop style that’s becoming increasingly popular. Songs like “Real Life Sux” and “Bad Day” gave the crowd a look inside his life and of what inspired him to write music.
Everyone was glued-in the moment renforshort took the stage. The 20-year old singer-songwriter from Toronto has a unique bedroom-pop style that is impressively well polished for so early in her career and absolutely thrived off the buzzing crowd compiled of teens and twenty-somethings. You could easily tell that she was having the time of her life on stage, bouncing along to the backbeats played by two accompanying band members. The crowd could sing every lyric back to her, and did, especially for up-tempo hits like “fuck, i love my friends” and “hate the way you love me”. The pulsating beats and catchy lyrics are also nearly impossible to NOT dance to. This is the second show of renforshort’s that I’ve been to and both times I was absolutely amazed by how much of a natural she is. She connects with her fans on a level that few others do, sharing anecdotes, making jokes, playfully posing for excited fans, and singing into iPhone cameras. If renforshort and Justus Bennetts’ young talent give any indication of the future of music, it’s looking bright. If you’re looking for a great time and some great music, make sure to catch them on the remainder of the dear amelia tour!
Pittsburgh Music Magazine 